Paramedics in training will have a bit of financial relief thanks to bursaries invested by the provincial government. Approximately 58 bursaries will be allocated to students entering the EMS program to help financially support paramedic training. A one-time funding of $530,000 will be split up ranging from $5,000-$10,000 over the bursaries. However, certain criteria need to be met to be eligible.
In order to qualify for bursaries, candidates need to meet the following criteria: Be accepted into, or a new graduate of, a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) and Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) program; pass pre-employment screening process through the Saskatchewan Health Authority or a contracted EMS provider; sign a return for service agreement for a minimum of two years employment with ground EMS in Saskatchewan, operated by the SHA or a contracted EMS provider, and ACP candidates will need to sign the agreement with services currently designated as, or prioritized for, future Advanced Life Support designation. Sourced from the Government of Saskatchewan
Sheena Onrait is the vice president of communication and strategic enrollment with Southeast College. She explains how beneficial it is for students to be receiving these bursaries.
“I think every time we have the opportunity as Southeast college or in conjunction with the Government of Saskatchewan to be able to help promote bursaries and promote training dollars that students have access to, it's a win-win situation. The students have a chance to access funds that they maybe wouldn't be able to do the program with if they didn't have the opportunity to apply for bursaries or receive some money back from once they finish the program and again it it helps alleviate some of that training pressure."
With inflation continuing to rise and the cost of education not going down anytime soon, these bursaries provide a fantastic opportunity for students to get relief from those financial burdens and be able to focus on what’s really important to them, training and graduating as a paramedic.
Paramedic programs are offered by many colleges in Saskatchewan including the Southeast College, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Carlton Trail College, and many other regional colleges.